Yuantouzhu

Yuantouzhu is a peninsula in the northern part of Taihu Lake. It is named after its shape like a flo[...]

Yuantouzhu is a peninsula in the northern part of Taihu Lake. It is named after its shape like a floating turtle raising its head. Here, you can visit the huge garden complex, take a boat to feel the vastness of Taihu Lake, explore the mysterious Taihu Fairy Island, and also come here to appreciate cherry blossoms in spring and experience the artistic conception of ‘The most beautiful place in Taihu Lake is, after all, Yuantouzhu’. The blooming of cherry blossoms in spring every year is a major spectacle here, and there is also a lively cherry blossom festival. Yuantouzhu is surrounded by water on three sides. It has not only the natural beauty of long mountains and wide waters and dotted sails but also the rural pastoral scenery of small bridges and flowing waters. It is the most beautiful place of Taihu Lake’s landscapes. Taihu Fairy Island is a must-visit place in Yuantouzhu. There are Taoist fairy palaces and cave sculptures of Taoism and Buddhism on the island. Climbing Luding Mountain on the peninsula, you can look around at the greenery by the lake. On a clear day, you can see the graceful boat shadows on the lake and feel the vast beauty of Taihu Lake. As a place for cherry blossom appreciation, Yuantouzhu has two unique features. One is the ‘land, water, and air’ panoramic cherry blossom appreciation. The second is that you can appreciate cherry blossoms at night. Cherry blossoms combined with lights are extremely beautiful. The early cherry blossoms in Yuantouzhu generally bloom in early March. Most of them are single-petaled or semi-double-petaled. According to the blooming sequence of cherry blossoms, they are divided into early and late cherry blossoms. There are many types of early-blooming cherry blossoms. The flowering period (from initial blooming, full blooming to withering) is one week. The late cherry blossoms can have a flowering period of 7-10 days. Affected by the heating rate, there is an interval of 5-12 days between the early and late flowering periods. During this period, some hybrid cherry blossoms are in bloom. Generally, in mid-to-late March, Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms enter full bloom, which is also the best viewing period. The specific time for entering full bloom depends on the weather at that time. If there is cold air, the full bloom period may be postponed. In summer, you can enjoy beautiful lotus flowers. Yuantouzhu also has many historical sites and private gardens built by celebrities and dignitaries in the old days. For example, Hengyun Villa, which contains the gatehouse of ‘The most beautiful place in Taihu Lake’ and Changchun Bridge, and Guangfu Temple, an ancient temple in Wuxi. And carefully savoring the remnants of historical celebrities’ travels, stone carvings, calligraphy, and paintings that can be seen everywhere is also a great pleasure of visiting Yuantouzhu. In addition, if you have time, you can also go to Wanlang Bridge. This is a good place to watch the sunset over Taihu Lake. The Chongshan Gate (main gate, southeast of the scenic area) of Yuantouzhu can be used for both entry and exit. The Dushan Gate (north of the scenic area) is for exit only. The entire scenic area is mainly composed of the Yuantouzhu Peninsula, Taihu Fairy Island, and Zhongdushan. Visiting all the scenic spots takes about a whole day. For most tourists, the recommended essence tour route is: Cruise Terminal – Taihu Fairy Island – The most beautiful place in Taihu Lake – Hengyun Villa – Yuantouzhu Spring Waves – Guangfu Temple – Luding Mountain.
Opening hours: From October 8 to July 14, open from 08:00 to 16:30; from July 15 to October 7, open from 06:30 to 17:00. Operation hours of transportation within the park: Bus: Monday to Sunday, 08:45 – 17:00. Round-trip passenger ship to Taihu Fairy Island: Monday to Sunday, 08:20 – 16:20.
Preferential policies: Children: Children under 6 years old (inclusive) or with a height of 1.
Free admission for children under 4 meters (inclusive) with valid certificates. Free admission for the elderly aged 70 years old (inclusive) and above with valid certificates. Elderly people aged 60 years old (inclusive) to 70 years old (exclusive) can enjoy half-price discount with valid identity documents and can purchase tickets on site at the Chongshan Gate ticket office of the scenic area. Half-price for minors. Minors aged 6 years old (exclusive) to 18 years old (inclusive) can enjoy half-price discount with valid certificates. Free admission for disabled people with valid certificates. Free admission for active-duty personnel, retired cadres, and retired sergeants (non-commissioned officers) with valid certificates. Free admission for military personnel, retired military personnel, military personnel who died in the line of duty, and relatives of military personnel who died of illness with valid certificates. Free admission for journalists with valid certificates. Half-price for students. Full-time undergraduate and below students can enjoy half-price discount. Free admission for people with courageous acts. Those with courageous acts, the spouses or parents and children of those who died for courageous acts can enjoy free admission with Jiangsu Courageous Acts Honor Certificate, valid identity documents, household register or certificate of immediate relatives issued by the public security bureau. Free admission for academicians in Wuxi. Academicians can enjoy free admission with their own ‘Academician Preferential Treatment Certificate’. Service objects eligible for ‘three-free’ treatment. Those with Jiangsu Blood Donation Honor Certificate and ID card can enjoy free admission. Supplementary note: 1. Daytime free admission objects do not enjoy free night tour policy. (See ‘List of Preferential Admission to Parks and Scenic Areas in Wuxi City’ for details). 2. During night tour activities, Wuxi Garden One-Card Pass, Yuantouzhu Scenic Area Annual Card, and Xixi Baby Parent-Child Card cannot be used. Medical workers in Wuxi and their spouses and children do not enjoy free admission policy. Service facilities: Parking lot: [Yuantouzhu Parking Lot]. Reference price: ￥20/day. Address: Chongshan parking lot of Yuantouzhu scenic area. Capacity: 2000. 15 yuan/day (small vehicles on weekdays), 20 yuan/day (large vehicles), 30 yuan/day (small vehicles on statutory holidays). WIFI: Account: aWiFi-WUXIFree. Password: No password required. Coverage: Full coverage. Mobile phone charging: The tourist center of the scenic area provides charging cables for Apple and Android phones. Luggage storage: Reference price: Free storage with scenic area ticket. A deposit of 50 yuan is required. Scenic area interpretation: At the tour guide office at the Chongshan Gate, tourist center of the scenic area, Chongshan Gate, and the tour guide kiosk at the Shanhuichuanmei Memorial Archway provide manual interpretation services. Transportation within the park: Reference price: Charged. Toilets: There are multiple toilets in Yuantouzhu, which are located near Chongshan Gate, Hengyun Hotel, Cherry Blossom Valley, etc. and are marked with conspicuous signs. Smoking area: Location: Smoking is allowed in areas other than cruise ships, restaurants, and mountain forests. Catering: Hengyun Hotel (next to the cruise ship dock), Jueshanfang (Taihu Fairy Island), Tianxianglou (Taihu Fairy Island). Note: Alipay and WeChat payments are available.
Vending machines: There are two vending machines, located at Taihu Xiandao Square and beside the Chongshan Visitor Center respectively. Note: Alipay and WeChat payments are not available.